Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
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[1]CourtListener opinion search: 'AF-52' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'AF-52' returned 5377 result(s) (2026-10-08); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-golden-eagle-t-af-52-uss-arcturus-af52-cl-hull-opinion
-
[2]CourtListener docket search: 'AF-52' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'AF-52' returned 79093 result(s) (2026-10-08); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-golden-eagle-t-af-52-uss-arcturus-af52-cl-hull-docket
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[3]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed scholarship documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and Maritime Commission program under which this C2-S-B1(R) hull was built (laid down 1941, delivered 1943). Period steam-ship insulation, lagging, gaskets, and packing commonly contained asbestos.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level documentation only - the article does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arcturus-af52-01
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[4]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Golden Eagle' (T-AF-52) entry (transcription mirror; canonical NHHC URL 404s) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- losthistory.net/hazegray DANFS mirror, auxil/af52.htm, full entry
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS: Golden Eagle (T-AF-52) laid down under Maritime Commission contract 8 December 1941 by Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, Calif.; launched 15 March 1942 (sponsor Mrs. John B. McKee); delivered to WSA 23 April 1943; merchant operation under charter to United Fruit Co. 1944-46 and United States Lines 1947-48; acquired by the Navy 1 March 1950 and assigned to MSTS. Civilian-manned out of New York; Mediterranean provisioning Nov-Dec 1950; cargo to Bremerhaven and Liverpool first half 1951; logistics duty off Thule, Greenland, departing 3 August 1951; rescue of seamen from stricken merchantman Flying Dutchman 2 January 1952; Operation Blue Jay supply at Thule Aug-Sep 1952 and 1953; North Atlantic runs to Newfoundland, Iceland, Baffin Island; carried sealed atomic wastes out of Bremerhaven for mid-Atlantic disposal. Returned to New York 10 August 1961, entered New York Navy Yard 14 August; renamed Arcturus (entry gives 18 October); commissioned 18 November, Capt. M. B. Davis; Caribbean shakedown; first 6th Fleet deployment June 1962 (51 ships provisioned); six Med deployments 1963-65; Operation Springboard Feb 1966; Holland/Germany/Denmark port calls June 1966; 10th Med deployment Aug 1966. Stats line: dp 6,319 lt; l 459'; b 63'; dr 26'; s 15 k; cpl 64; a none; type C2-S-B1 (R).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1941-1967
- Population
- Merchant/WSA crews 1943-48; USAT crew 1948-50; MSTS civil-service crew 1950-61; Navy crew 1961-73
- Limitations
- Published DANFS text (transcription ends mid-1960s service). No asbestos, materials, or survey information. Canonical NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-20 - transcription mirror cited; rename date '18 October' conflicts with MARAD card and updated DANFS text ('13 October') - see correction row ev-07.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arcturus-af52-02
-
[5]Updated DANFS entry for Arcturus (AF-52), post-1966 narrative, as reproduced in the Wikipedia article text (canonical NHHC URL unreachable) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wikipedia USS Arcturus (AF-52) article, narrative paragraphs (updated DANFS text)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Post-1966 service record: conversion at New York Naval Shipyard from August 1961; renamed Arcturus 13 October 1961; commissioned at New York 18 November 1961; post-shakedown repairs at Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Baltimore, through summer 1962; preparing for her 24th Mediterranean deployment in late 1972 when her refrigeration compressor system failed completely; Navy decided to inactivate early October 1972; decommissioning preparations began 2 November 1972; out of commission at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek 16 March 1973; transferred to Maritime Administration 18 October 1973 and berthed with the James River NDRF contingent; struck from the Navy list 1 October 1976; authorized for use as a target 'to destruction' December 1985; sunk as a target 24 July 1997, reportedly by naval gunfire from USS Cole (DDG-67) at approx. 35 deg 48'35" N, 073 deg 06'57" W.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1961-1997
- Population
- Navy crew 1961-73; NDRF/target-prep personnel 1973-97
- Limitations
- Verification partial - the text reproduces the updated DANFS entry but the canonical NHHC page 404s and the Wayback Machine was offline; the Cole-gunfire attribution and coordinates could not be confirmed against a second authoritative source. NavSource conflicts on decommission (16 May 1973) and stricken (9 Dec 1985) dates - see correction row ev-07. No asbestos or hazmat information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arcturus-af52-03
-
[6]MARAD ShipHistory database - ARCTURUS (AF-52) Detail 297 and GOLDEN EAGLE Detail 1980, incl. digitized vessel status cards (scans read directly) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov Detail/297 and Detail/1980; card scans /cards/297_563AF.jpg, 297_RS563AF/BF/CF.jpg, /cards/1980_3686AF.jpg and PNGs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD records: U.S. Official No. 243295; type C2-S-B1 (Refrig); MC hull 184, Moore yard hull 215, built 1943; 6,180 gross / 3,503 net / ~7,580 DWT; 459-469 ft x 63 ft. WSA allocation card documents operator chain: United Fruit Co. GAA from delivery 23 April 1943; War Department bareboat 24 September 1946; United States Lines GAA 20 December 1946 and MC/BB 22 January 1947; Sword Line GAA 16 January 1948; James River Reserve Fleet lay-up 8 March 1948; withdrawn to War Department 18 September 1948 (USAT service); MSTS custody 1 March 1950; Bureau of Ships custody 14 August 1961; renamed ARCTURUS 10-13-61. Navy-account NDRF card (James River): entered 18 October 1973; 'Sold as Scrap ship' 21 August 1985; temporary-storage re-entry 15 July 1988; withdrawn 25 August 1988 'Military Exercise', re-entered 30 August 1988; withdrawn 17 January 1989 'Going to Puerto Rico to be used as a target ship'; re-entered 10 July 1989; withdrawn 15 October 1990 'to Puerto Rico for Naval Exercise' (expected return June/July 1991); re-entered 17 August 1992; NAVAIR target ship acquisition 3 April 1997; withdrawal to NISMF Portsmouth 'Prep for SINEX' 3 April 1997. Fate field: 'Sunk - No Further Info.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1997
- Population
- NDRF custody and target-prep personnel (James River, Puerto Rico, NISMF Portsmouth)
- Limitations
- Primary custody record read from scanned status cards; some handwriting partially legible (entry verified against typed fields and milestone table). Documents ownership/custody movements only - contains no asbestos, materials, condition-survey, or hazmat information; supports no asbestos claim. The repeated withdrawal/re-entry pattern (1985-92) indicates reuse as an exercise target after the 1985 scrap sale; underlying transaction documents not located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arcturus-af52-04
-
[7]U.S. Navy official reference card (1967), '7 Alstede Class' stores ships, in MARAD file scan [other_primary]
- Locator
- MARAD card scan 297_563AF.jpg (1967 Navy class data card)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Navy's own 1967 class card lists the seven Alstede-class stores ships (Alstede AF-48, Aludra AF-55, Arcturus AF-52, Bellatrix AF-62, Pictor AF-54, Procyon AF-61, Zelima AF-49) and records: class characteristics 6,914 t light / 15,500 t full load, 459-2 ft oa x 63 ft x 28 ft; class armament 4 x 40 mm (2 twin); geared turbines ~6,000 shp, 16.4 knots; complement 17 officers, 275 men. The card explicitly notes the design distinction: 'C2-S-B1 type similar to R2-S-BV1 design, except that R2s were built as reefers and C2s as cargo ships' - i.e., the Navy recorded Arcturus as the C2-S-B1 hull among R2-S-BV1 sisters.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1967
- Population
- Commissioned-era crew (17 officers + 275 enlisted per card)
- Limitations
- Class-level reference card; the complement/performance figures are class data, not a hull survey. Confirms the Navy's own type assignment (C2-S-B1) against NavSource/Wikipedia's 'R2-S-BV1' label. No asbestos or materials statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arcturus-af52-05
-
[8]Batch-548 search ledger (this record): DANFS mirrors; MARAD ShipHistory + status cards; NavSource; EPA MPRSA SINKEX documentation; general web litigation search; CourtListener API + web UI (blocked) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-arcturus-af52-01 through sl-uss-arcturus-af52-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no hull asbestos survey, abatement contract, conversion work-package disclosure, hazmat report, or docketed case naming Golden Eagle / T-AF-52 / Arcturus / AF-52 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion search could not be completed - API returned HTTP 429 (daily rate cap exceeded) and the web interface returned HTTP 403 to automated access; the litigation check is therefore incomplete. A general web search returned only a law-firm marketing list page mentioning 'USNS Golden Eagle (T-AF-52)' - excluded as non-authoritative.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1941-43 steam-powered refrigerated hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing construction, and the hull was sunk (not surveyed or scrapped ashore), so no modern survey trail exists. CourtListener rate limit leaves the docket check open; a re-run is the gap. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arcturus-af52-06
-
[9]Cross-source discrepancy resolution: DANFS (launch 1942-03-15, rename '18 October'); updated DANFS/Wikipedia (rename 13 Oct 1961, decomm 16 Mar 1973, struck 1 Oct 1976); MARAD status cards (renamed 10-13-61; delivery 23 Apr 1943); NavSource (launched 12 Jun 1943, decomm 16 May 1973, struck 9 Dec 1985); Moore yard list and shipbuildinghistory.com (type C2-S-B1, delivery 23-Apr-43) [other_primary]
- Locator
- MARAD cards 1980_3686AF.jpg, 297_563AF/CF.jpg; hazegray DANFS mirror; NavSource AF-52 page; shipbuildinghistory.com C2 list
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Discrepancies resolved/flagged: (a) Type - 'R2-S-BV1' in NavSource/Wikipedia is wrong for this hull: DANFS stats line, MARAD type field, the Moore yard list, and the Navy's 1967 class card all give C2-S-B1(R); R2-S-BV1 describes the later-built class sisters (e.g., Aludra ex-Matchless MC 1202). (b) Launch date - NavSource's '12 June 1943' post-dates the documented WSA delivery 23 April 1943 and is rejected; DANFS '15 March 1942' adopted (a '15 March 1943' alternative cannot be ruled out but is undocumented). (c) Rename - MARAD card '10-13-61' and updated DANFS '13 October 1961' control over old DANFS '18 October'. (d) Decommission - updated DANFS '16 March 1973' adopted over NavSource '16 May 1973'; both NAB Little Creek. (e) Stricken - updated DANFS '1 October 1976' adopted over NavSource '9 December 1985'; the December 1985 date likely conflates the target-authorization decision that month.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1941-1997
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies using primary (MARAD cards) and controlling secondary (DANFS) sources; decommission and stricken alternatives remain flagged rather than provably wrong since NavSource is a secondary compilation and the canonical NHHC page was unreachable. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arcturus-af52-07
-
[10]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 248 (War Shipping Administration), RG 24 (Navy deck logs) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov Guide to Federal Records, RGs 19/178/248/24
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): RG 19 BuShips records for the 1961 New York Naval Shipyard conversion (work packages, Booklet of General Plans for AF-52) and inactivation surveys; RG 178 USMC Construction Division records for MC hull 184 (Moore contract outfitting specifications); RG 248 WSA vessel acquisition/operation files; RG 24 deck logs 1961-73; MSTS operational records for the T-AF-52 period. The 1985 scrap-sale transaction file (MARAD) and any NAVAIR/SINKEX prep documentation for 1997 are additional targeted leads.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1941-1997 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arcturus-af52-08
-
[11]U.S. EPA, MPRSA general permit 'Transport of Target Vessels for Ocean Disposal' (40 CFR 229.2) and EPA-Navy SINKEX determination/agreement documentation [federal_register]
- Locator
- epa.gov marine-protection-permitting SINKEX page; 40 CFR 229.2; EPA-Navy determination document (2014)
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- The 24 July 1997 sinking was a Navy SINKEX event conducted under the MPRSA general permit at 40 CFR 229.2, which requires that before sinking, qualified personnel at a Navy or certified facility remove to the maximum extent practicable all materials that may degrade the marine environment, including emptying fuel tanks/lines and removing pollutants and readily detachable debris-capable material. The MARAD card documents 'Prep for SINEX' at NISMF Portsmouth in April 1997 - the documented pre-sinking preparation event for this hull. EPA/Navy SINKEX materials identify asbestos among the shipboard hazardous materials of concern in the program generally.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1997 (event); permit regime 1977-present
- Population
- Target-prep personnel, NISMF Portsmouth 1997
- Limitations
- Program-level regulatory context - the permit framework and prep event are documented, but no hull-specific record establishes what hazardous materials were found on or removed from this particular ship, or whether any asbestos remained at sinking. Does not establish presence or absence of asbestos aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-arcturus-af52-09
-
[12]CourtListener opinion search: 'AF-52' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'AF-52' returned 5377 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-golden-eagle-t-af-52-uss-arcturus-af52-cl-hull-opinion
-
[13]CourtListener docket search: 'AF-52' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'AF-52' returned 79093 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-golden-eagle-t-af-52-uss-arcturus-af52-cl-hull-docket
